Economy
The latest news, updates and analysis on the economy and how it is affecting the UK retail industry. Sign up to the Daily Briefing and let Retail Sector’s business journalists keep you in the picture.
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Sep- 2023 -21 September
Bank of England keeps interest rates unchanged at 5.25%
Following 14 straight rate rises, the Bank of England (BoE) has kept interest rates unchanged at 5.25%. At its latest meeting, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted by a slim majority of 5–4 to maintain the current rate, though four members preferred to increase the rate to 5.5%. The MPC…
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20 September
Ofgem urged to act on rates as consultation into broker fees ends
Ofgem has been urged to act on “out of contract” rates by Box Power, the same social enterprise which helped force a consultation on hidden broker fees. This comes as the consultation on transparency for energy broker fees has now ended, with Box Power CEO Corin Dalby saying the regulator…
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20 September
Inflation ‘unexpectedly’ falls to 6.7%
The headline rate of inflation has fallen by 0.1% to 6.7% in August, according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), despite prior concerns from economists that the rate was set to rise. The largest downward contributions to the monthly change in annual rates came from…
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12 September
Wage growth starts to outpace rate of inflation
Pay growth has caught up with the rate of inflation for the first time in nearly two years, as wages surged at a record rate in the last quarter, official figures have shown. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), earnings, excluding bonuses, rose by 7.8% between May and…
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11 September
Retail leaders call for business rates freeze
Leaders of major retail businesses have written to chancellor Jeremy Hunt calling for a freeze in business rates in the upcoming budget, according to the Times. The CEOs of 44 of the UK’s biggest retailers such as Aldi and Ikea believe that more than £400m would be added to rates…
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Aug- 2023 -18 August
Poor weather drags down retail sales 1.2% in July
Retail sales volumes are estimated to have fallen by 1.2% in July 2023 following a rise of 0.6% in June 2023 as poor weather is thought to have deterred shoppers, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Food stores sales volumes fell by 2.6% in…
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17 August
Over 550,000 SMEs struggle to pay tax bills, study finds
More than 550,000 small and medium-sized businesses are currently struggling to pay tax bills, according to new research from Premium Credit. The study that was carried out by the provider of finance for companies found that the rising cost-of-living is adding to the pressure, yet issues with tax have been…
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16 August
Inflation falls for second consecutive month to 6.8%
Inflation fell for the second consecutive month in July to 6.8%, down from 7.9% in June, as the energy price cap and the slowing of food costs helped drive down prices. According to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics, the easing in the annual inflation rates in…
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11 August
UK economy grows by 0.2% in Q2
The UK economy has grown faster than expected in the three months to June, new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show. According to the ONS, GDP rose by 0.2% in the second quarter of the year, up from a growth of 0.1% in the first quarter. In…
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4 August
Retail sector accounted for 16% of UK administrations in 2023, study finds
The retail sector accounted for 16% of administrations in the first six months of 2023 – the highest industry in the UK, according to analysis by full-service law firm Shakespeare Martineau. A total of 759 businesses, 118 of which came from the retail sector, filed for administration between 1 January…
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